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The C.A.T. (Covert Anti-Terrorism) knives have been in the TOPS Knives line up for nearly as long as TOPS Knives has existed and they have been largely unchanged in that time. They announced that they would be breathing some new life into the knives at SHOT Show in the form of a new scales called Cryptic Cyber Scales.

The new scales are machined G-10. The surface has a texture similar to checkering along with pattern that is somewhat reminiscent of a circuit board. These scales are extremely grippy.

TOPS Knives launched the new scales today and they are available at an introductory price in both the Tanto version and Hunter’s Point (drop point).

Good customer service comes in many forms. It can be difficult for manufacturers to answer every question that comes their way but the good ones will figure out a way to find answers. This is especially true about questions of compatibility and fitment since no one can physically test every possible product combination.

Scalarworks came up with a slick approach that I think other manufacturers would be wise to learn from. They created a scaled drawing of their LDM mounts that they can distribute in PDF format so that the dimensions can be controlled. The drawings can be printed by the potential customer, cut out, and used to check cheekweld, co-witness, etc. on their particular firearm. So, if you call asking if their mounts will co-witness with your one-off Blaster 9000, they may not know off the top of their heads but they can give you the tools to check for yourself.

While most AR-15 pistol grips are molded from polymer, Executive Ordnance went a different direction. Theirs is machined from 7075 aluminum billet, hard anodized, and fitted with interchangeable G-10 panels. This is certainly not something everyone needs but they are really unique and they look great.

G-10 is a great material for this type of application. It is extremely durable, relatively lightweight, impervious to most solvents, available in a ton of colors, and easily machined for texture. Each grip has three G-10 panels – two sides and a front strap. The panels bolt to the aluminum chassis and are interchangeable so that the texture and colors can be changed to suit the user.

Push knives (punch blades) are one of the easiest to carry styles of defense fixed blades. They are also fairly intuitive to use. However, many of the available push knives on the market just aren’t that great. Joe Watson Knives is developing a push knife that looks to have a lot going for it.

The handle is hand filling with a broad backstrap to which helps prevent twisting and spreads the force of a blow out over more of the palm. The post area that connects the blade to the handle is well rounded to prevent injury. The random textured G10 scales should also go a long way toward preventing twisting.

The blade is very reminiscent of Joe’s Archangel design. It has a strong point that is well suited to the intended point driven use of this knife but also has a useable edge. The blade is not centered on the handle like many push knives. Instead, Joe has offset it so it falls naturally between the index and middle finger. It is also set at a slight angle to the handle in order to allow a much natural fist position and to more effectively lock the wrist.

Fight and Flight Tactical is trying to bring something new to the patch panel. Their panel features a large loop Velcro surface, bound edges, and grommets for hanging. All of that is pretty standard. The unique feature is the addition of PALS webbing along the bottom edge of the panel so the user can attach various pouches.

The PALS webbing addition would be pretty handy if you keep your panels above your desk like I do. Pouches could be used to hold small items I need at the desk, the webbing could be used to hang commonly used items like sunglasses, or who knows what else. The uses for PALS webbing are nearly endless.